Level



LEVEL A. DE ANGELIS Original Filed Slepi. 25, 1926 nm if..

| a nml l IL.

June 17, 1930.

Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES mom-o DE ANGELIS, or' cLAIR'roN', PENNSYLVANIA LEVEL Appueatimi filed september 25, 1926, serial No. 137,652. Renewed December 2o, 1229.`

y be accurately -set `in a ready manner in prop-L er relationto the longitudinal straight edges j of the level body or bar to insure the production of an accurate instrument of this kind.

' Another object is to provide sliding cover plates which may be readily manipulated to coverthenormally exposed level glasses l or'tubeshat the sidesof the latter which are exposed ywhenthe level body or bar is folded, wherebyy accidental breakage of suchv llevel, glassesor tubes will be effectively prevented when .the level is not in use.

Astill further object is to provide Vmeans for manipulating the level glass coverplates so that no projections areyp'rovided at the edges of the level body or bar` for interfern ing with thel proper use of the instrument. A further object is to provide. simple and improved means' for retaining the sections of the level bar or body in extended or unfolded condition, which means is also of membersupon the faces or edges of the level 'bar for4 interfering with the proper use of the instrument. y

Other. objects will become 4apparent as 4o the nature of the invention isbetter understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the'accompanying drawing, and claimed.

"In the drawing, wherein like reference in folded condition; and" such la.V naturey as to present no projecting characters kindicate corresponding Aparts throughout the several views. Figure l'is a side elevational view of a level 'constructed in accordance with the present invention and in its unfolded or extended condition;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the devicey shown in Figure l; y

rFigure 3 isA an enlarged vfragmentary ver-- tical longitudinal section taken upon -line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4: isa similar view taken upo line i-l of Figure 2; l

Figure 5 is a top-plan view of the level Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section taken upon line -6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring Lmore yin detail to the drawing,

the present levelV includes an elongated body i or bar,preferably formed ofwood7 and comf prisingV a-pair of similar sections 5 and 6 hingedly,l connected atl adjacent ends by means of a 'leaf hinge 7 or the like so that opening 9 of the ysection sothat `a proper V'view of the bubble may be had in the usual manner.y As lthe mounting of each level glass 8 isthe same, description of' one Will suiiice for both. As shown :morel clearly in Figures 3 and 4, each level glass 8 is carried ina metal holder having tubular end porv tions l0, connected by upwardly and down,

wardlyl bowed upper'and lower strips or the, sections may? fold to side byy sideconand the intermediate portion of the level glass being disposed between the connecting strips 11 and 12 within the opening 9. In order to properly mount the level glass 8 in the tubular portions 10, a suitable packing is provided at 13.

Each holder is disposed with its tubular end portions 10 loosely arranged within grooves or recesses 14 provided in the associated bar section 5 or 6 at opposite sides of the adjacent opening 9, the recesses 14 being provided in the faces ofthe bar sections 5 and 6 which are Youtermostwhen the level is folded. One end of each level glass holder is pivoted in the adjacent recess 14 by means of a transverse pivot pin 15 or the like so that the level glass andV holder are capable of vertical swinging movement Vto a limited degree as allowedA by the larger size of the recesses 14 as compared to the tubular end portions 10 of the level glass holder. The free end of the level glass holder is formed with anextended lug or ear 16 whose aperture is threaded to engage the threaded stem of an adjusting screw 17 which passes freely through an adjacent vertical opening 18 of the level bar section and has its head rotatablyeounter-sunk in an ear 19 of the counter-sunk wear plate 2O provided in the upper edge of the level bar section. With this construction, it is apparent that the level glasses may be placed in the holders and the latter mounted in place within the openings 9 and recesses 14,

with' a vertical longitudinal recess 21 ,which4 intersects the opening 9 and recesses 14' of the associated level glass and holder at the side of the latter which vis outermost when Vthe level is folded, and slidably disposed in this recess 21 is a cover or shield plate 22 of lesser length than the recess 21 so that said plate 22 may be retracted to the position shown in the several views for uncoveri ing the opening 9 and exposing the level glass when the level is in use,- or slid to the opposite end of said recess 21 for covering the level glass and opening 9 at one side of said level glassy whereby breakage of the latter will be prevented when the level is folded by reason of the fact that the plate 22 will prevent articles or the like from entering the exposed side of the opening 9 andV striking against the level glass. As shown clearly in Figures 2 and 4, each shield or cover plate 22 is equipped with a rigid knob 23 movable in a longitudinal depressed portion of the wear plate 20 and having a stem slidable in an elongated longitudinal slot 24 provided in the bottom of said de-V pressed portion of wear plate 20. The wear plate 2O is counter-sunk into the upperl edge of the associated bar section 5 or 6 and a fastened by screws 25 or the like so that the wear plate 20 and the knob 23 are rlush with the upper edge of the level bar for presenting no projections to interfere with the use of the level.

The level barv sections 5 and 6 are provided in their adjacent ends with central longitudinal sockets or recesses 26, and slidably fitted in the recess of one bar section, such as the bar section 5-is a latch bolt 27 of platelike form adapted to be projected to slide into or enter the recess 26 ofthe bar section 6 for maintaining the level bar sections in i extended or unfolded condition. Obviously,

by retracting the latch bolt 27 into the recess 26 of bar section 5, the level may be readily folded, and when the level bar is extended or unfolded, thebolt 27 may be' projected so as to enter the recess 26 of bar section 6 to thereby retain the bar sections against accidental folding, and with the adjacent ends of the bar sections in contiguous or abutting relation. The latch bolt 27 is provided near its inner end with a rigid knob 28 which is movable in a longitudinal depressed portion 29 of a wear plate 3 0 counter-sunk in the upper edge of the bar `section 5 and secured in place by screws 31, and the knob 28 is carried upon the upper end of the vertical stem 32 rigid with the upper edge of the bolt 27 and movable in a longitudinal slot of the bar* section 5 com- Vmunicating with the recess 21 as wellas inY a longitudinal slot 33 in the bottom of the depressed portion 29.Y of Vthe wear plate 30. Obviously the knob 28 may be actuated for sliding the bolt 27 to projected or retracted position, such 'bolt being shown retracted in the several views. Y

If desired, a transverselevel glass 34 may be provided and exposed within a transverse opening 35 of the level bar. As shown this transverse level glass Vis provided in the free end portion of the lever bar section 6.

`From the foregoingk description it is believed that the construction and Yoperation as well as the advantages ofthe present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.v

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

W hatV I claim as new is Y In a level of the character described, a

bar having a transverse side openingand 

